General Delegations
to all Portfolio Holders
1.
In addition to acting collectively in the Cabinet, each Cabinet
Member will have the general role of providing leadership and
guidance in respect of all executive functions within the portfolio
area for which he or she is accountable and the promoting and
improving of the Council’s profile and public perception.
2.
In accordance with the Secretary of State’s guidance, Cabinet
Members should amongst other things:
(i) ensure that they have sufficient time
to focus on broad strategic issues (para 4.21 of the Guidance);
and
(ii) seek advice from relevant officers before
taking a decision within his or her own delegated authority; where
appropriate this should include taking legal advice, financial
advice and professional officer advice (particularly about
contractual matters) as well as consulting the Monitoring Officer
where there is a doubt about legal powers (para 4.44 of the
Guidance).
Any matter within a Cabinet
Member’s delegated powers may be referred by him or her to
Cabinet for decision.
3.
To regularly review the effectiveness of policies and the
performance of services and make recommendations for continuous
improvement to the Cabinet.
4.
To oversee the capital and revenue budgets in areas of
responsibility to ensure expenditure and income is consistent with
the Council’s agreed budget.
5.
To liaise and work with other portfolio holders on cross cutting
areas of responsibility and make recommendations to Cabinet as
appropriate. [Note: Any matter relating to more than one portfolio
area must be referred by the portfolio holders to Cabinet for
decision.]
6.
To oversee the review of fees and charges and recommend changes in
line with the Council’s agreed budget strategy.
7.
To make or agree recommendations to Cabinet in relation to new
policy areas.
8.
To consider and endorse service plans to ensure compliance with the
Corporate Plan.
9.
To be accountable to the Cabinet for the implementation of agreed
priorities and final recommendations from the Corporate Plan,
Service Plans and reviews and to consider and act on reports
received from officers monitoring progress.
10.
To authorise the making of applications for planning permission for
proposed development relating to the Member’s portfolio
area.
11.
To make recommendations to Cabinet on bids for additional funding;
expenditure; variations to expenditure and the letting of contracts
for works; goods and services, in accordance with the
Council’s Contract Standing Orders.
12.
To support individual projects within the Cabinet Member’s
portfolio area, provided such expenditure is within the overall
project budget and above the prevailing virement threshold.
13
In any case where a matter is urgent and a decision cannot
reasonably await the next meeting of the Cabinet and the relevant
portfolio holder does not have a general or specific delegated
power, the relevant portfolio holder may nevertheless make a
decision on behalf of the Cabinet subject (except in the case of
the Leader) to prior consultation with the Leader and subject to
the decision being reported to Cabinet as soon as practicable.
[Note: in the case of a key decision
the Access to Information Procedure Rules must still be complied
with.]